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BAAL SHEM TOV STORY
Following the Weekly Torah Reading
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THE THREE
BROTHERS
"Yaakov stepped forward and rolled the rock off the
mouth of the well effortlessly showing his great
strength." (Bereishis 29:10)
In a small village deep in the Carpathian mountains,
there lived three learned, G d-fearing brothers, Reb
Chaim, Reb Yaakov and Reb Dovid. Reb Chaim and
Reb Yaakov were devoted followers of the Baal Shem
Tov but Reb Dovid was a "mitnagid" — one strongly
opposed to the customs and teachings of the
chassidim.
Whenever the Baal Shem Tov visited the village, he
always asked Reb Chaim and Reb Yaakov as to the
physical and spiritual welfare of their brother. The
two brothers found it quite curious that the Baal
Shem Tov always inquired about the wellbeing of Reb
Dovid. After all, it was well known that Reb Dovid
had spoken demeaningly about their Rebbe.
Once, the Baal Shem Tov arrived at the village on a
Thursday. Before he even encountered Reb Chaim
and Reb Yaakov, he inquired about Reb Dovid from
the other townfolk. "So how is my adversary Reb
Dovid?" he asked.
The villagers thought that the Baal Shem Tov would
be pleased with the news: "Reb Dovid is on his
deathbed and has lost the power of
speech."
But the Baal Shem Tov was distraught at the news
and went immediately to the home two brothers Reb
Chaim and Reb Yaakov. The Baal Shem Tov told
them that it was urgent that he pay a visit to their
dying brother. The two brothers were a little upset
and confused at their Rebbe's request. "Rebbe, it
might be better if you don't visit him right now," they
said.
The very next day, Friday, the eve of the holy
Sabbath, the Baal Shem Tov told the two brothers
that it was imperative that he pray at the home of
their ill brother on the holy Sabbath.
"Rebbe," they implored him, "even if he was healthy,
he would certainly not let you pray at his house."
But the Baal Shem Tov insisted. The two brothers
were not about to get involved in "Rebbesheh
maysehs" (the workings of holy men), so they
arranged for the Baal Shem Tov to use a small room
in their sick brother's house for prayers and study
over the Sabbath, and they arranged to have a Holy
Ark and a Torah scroll brought there.
In this small room, the Baal Shem Tov prayed
Minchah and Maariv on Friday, the holy Sabbath Eve,
and the following morning he prayed the Sabbath
Shacharit prayer. In the morning, he prolonged his
prayers until nearly two o'clock in the afternoon.
Before reading the Torah, he paused as if waiting for
something to occur. Just then, he heard a terrible,
deep groan from the dying Reb Dovid. The Baal
Shem called out to Reb Dovid's two brothers, "Let us
all go into visit your sick brother together." They
entered the room and the Baal Shem Tov sat next to
the dying Reb Dovid.
Reb Dovid's crying mother sat nearby reciting Tehillim
(psalms). She leaned over to her son and
whispered "Dovid'll, a holy rabbi is here to visit you."
But Reb Dovid didn't move. She took her son's hand
and placed it in the Baal Shem Tov's hand.
The Baal Shem Tov gazed at him with a furrowed
brow. "Reb Dovid, I understand that you study
Talmud?"
But Reb Dovid lay motionless. The Baal Shem Tov
repeated the same question several times, but Reb
Dovid remained silent. Finally, the Baal Shem Tov
raised his voice: "Where are your manners? I am
asking you a question!?"
The pale Reb Dovid slowly opened his sunken eyes
and looked at The Baal Shem Tov. "Yes," he
whispered, "I have studied Gemara."
The Baal Shem Tov then asked, "In which tractate
does it state, "'Are your sufferings welcome to
you?'"
Reb Dovid replied: "In the tractate
Berachot."
"And what is said there?" continued the Baal Shem
Tov.
"Neither they nor their reward," he slowly
answered.
The Baal Shem Tov then asked "Reb Dovid, are your
sufferings welcome to you?"
Reb Dovid answered: "Neither they nor their
reward."
The Baal Shem Tov then said, "Give me your other
hand." Reb Dovid slowly raised his other hand, and
The Baal Shem helped him sit up. "Now place your
feet on the floor, stand up, dress yourself slowly and
wash your hands." Amazingly, Reb Dovid followed all
of the Baal Shem Tov's instructions. He slowly
regained his strength hour by hour. Later, he prayed
the Musaf prayer and with the help of G d, he made
a full recovery.
As to whether Reb Dovid became a follower of the
Baal Shem Tov, we don't know.
And so it was.
Adapted by Tzvi Meir HaCohane (Howard Cohn,
Patent Attorney) from a story in SHIVCHEI HABESHT
as translated in IN PRAISE OF THE BAAL SHEM TOV
by Ben Amos and Mintz.
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TORAH BAAL SHEM TOV
Selection from Sefer Baal Shem Tov on the Torah
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"I am the L rd, G d of Abraham, your father, and G d
of Isaac." (Bereishis 27:13)
This is why we say in our prayers: "G d of Abraham,
G d of Isaac [and G d of Jacob]," and not "G d of
Abraham, Isaac [and Jacob]." A person should never
rely on the spiritual searching and path of worship of
his fathers, just as Isaac and Jacob did not rely upon
the conclusions that their father Abraham reached.
Each one sought to understand the oneness of G d
for himself, and to reach his own conclusions as to
how to serve Him. Thus, we link G d's name with
each of the forefathers individually.
Korban Ha'Ani, Bechukosai
It is known that the Forefathers corresponded to the
sefirot of Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferet. Abraham
embodied the quality of Chesed — loving-kindness.
He loved and showed generosity to the entire
creation, and tried to instill in them faith in G d, and
a desire to serve Him; because the trait of Chesed
corresponds to love. Through Abraham's great
dedication to this trait, he came to recognize and
comprehend the Creator, and realize that G d runs
the entire world.
Isaac learned and received this approach from
Abraham; however, he still wanted to come to his
own understanding of G d. This is as the verse
says: "Know the G d of your fathers, and serve Him"
(I Chronicles 28:9). One should not merely
accept this service as a tradition, to be fulfilled by
rote.1 Therefore, Isaac devoted himself
to the trait of piety.2 And out of his
great care [to fulfill the will of G d], he came to
know and comprehend G d for himself, besides what
he received from his father.
Now, Jacob realized that there must be a middle way
in the operation of the world, that mediated between
Chesed and Gevurah, because the world could not
survive if it can only function according to one of
these two extremes. Therefore, he devoted himself
to the trait of Tiferet.3 Through this,
he arrived at a deeper perception of G d than his
fathers, and is called the "Chosen of the
Forefathers."4 He saw that the world
could not exist in unmitigated judgment, and so
tempered it with the trait of
Compassion.5
Likutey Yakarim, p.
9b
1That is, each person must come to his
own knowledge of G d. In Chasidus, the word
da'at, "knowledge," also has the connotation of
mystical union. The use of the word da'at for union
can be first found in Genesis 4:1: "And Adam
knew Eve, his wife." Concerning the days of the
Messiah, the verse says: "The earth will be filled with
the knowledge of G d, as the sea is covered with
water" (Isaiah 11:9), referring to a direct,
mystical knowledge of G d that all humanity will then
experience.
2Literally "fear," that corresponds to
the sefirah of Gevurah.
3Tiferet means "beauty" or "splendor,"
and is positioned below and between the sefirot of
Chesed and Gevurah. It includes them both, and
mediates between them.
4Pesikta Rabotai, Vayishlach
76
5Judgment, Din, is associated with the
sefirah of Gevurah, because it has the implication of
restriction and uncompromising demands.
Compassion is considered an admixture of Chesed-
love, and Gevurah-judgment. Whereas pure Chesed
gives uncompromisingly, and pure Gevurah withholds
absolutely, Compassion gives in accordance with the
needs of the receiver, neither totally overwhelming,
nor denying. The Baal Shem Tov is also alluding to
the midrash that states that G d first sought to
create the world with the attribute of Judgment.
When He saw that it could not stand, he added the
attribute of Compassion. Likewise, Jacob saw that
the world could not serve G d following the extreme
patterns of Abraham and Isaac, and so combined
them in the trait of compassion, which enables all
creatures to find a place in the worship of
G d.
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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THE PILLAR OF PRAYER
The Baal Shem Tov's Teachings on Prayer
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Section 43
It is a tremendous miracle that a person remains alive
after he prays, and that his soul does not leave him
in his intense attachment to G d.
Sifsei Tzaddikim, BeShalach
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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THE LIGHT OF THE EYES
On the Greatness of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 34
They once asked the Baal Shem Tov, "Why is it that
although we study Torah, pray and perform mitzvos
and good deeds, our prayers remain above? Your
prayers and words are heard in heaven, for we see
that your supplications bear fruit."
He answered them with a parable. There was a
king's son who became lost, and found himself in a
field of grazing flocks. He was very hungry, thirsty
and tired. A shepherd found him and invited him to
his home. But what does a poor shepherd have to
host him graciously? He took the cleanest and best
piece of cloth from his knapsack and spread it on the
table. Then, he lay the prince down on the ground
on a clean, white blanket. (For the poor man had
nothing else with which to honor the prince, neither
bread to put on the tablecloth, nor pillow and
pillowcase to put on the blanket, but he did what he
could do with great honor and courtesy.) Later,
when the prince returned home, he summoned the
shepherd before him, and exalted him higher than all
the other noblemen. They asked the prince, "Why do
you exalt this shepherd so much? We always do your
will in whatever task you appoint us." But the prince
answered, "All the honor and prestige that I bestow
upon him is only because he gave me a clean, white
sheet, and a white blanket on the earth."
This is what the Baal Shem Tov said. Understand
these words, for they are very profound.
Shoshana l'Dovid, Tehilim 2
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer
Shore
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KESER SHEM TOV
Anthology of the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
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Section 55
The Baal Shem Tov taught:
Someone who performs a great mitzvah, learns a lot
of Torah or prays with devotion should not allow
thoughts of pride to enter his heart. Rather, it was
the Malkhuth [Indwelling Divine presence] — the
ANI1 from AdoNaI — that is responsible.
But when one prides oneself in having done this, he
causes the letter yud2 from ANI to
disappear, and then only AN is
left.3
This is the meaning of, "Know from whence — from
ayin — you come,"4 literally, from
nothingness, because when a person considers
himself as nothing, then he comes close to G d. On
the other hand, when one prides oneself that one
has done something, then one goes away from G d —
the yud has disappeared, and only an remains. This
is alluded to in the conclusion of the Mishnah, "To
where — to an — you are going."
1Ani means, "I," and is the same letters
as ayin, which means nothing. The implication of this
is that each individual person's "I" is only a
manifestation of the Divine "I," but to connect with
this Higher "I" we must transcend our lower "I," our
egos, and realize that ultimately, we are ayin, we are
nothing.
2The letter yud represents nothingness,
since it is written as a single point of ink. It also
represents wisdom. Living with a sense of our
nothingness before G d is true wisdom.
3Until here is a quote from the Baal
Shem Tov in Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Korach
#3. Regarding the remainder, the Toldoth in
Ben Porath Yoseph 77a is not sure if he heard
this too from the Baal Shem Tov, or if this is his own
interpretation.
4Tractate Avoth 3:1
Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua
Starrett
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